“This dastardly, cold-blooded murder of innocent children and their educators by a deranged individual shocks Minnesotans,” Dayton said.

Minnesota Education Commissioner Brenda Cassellius said the healing process after the Newtown shooting will take months.

“Today, innocent children and educators lost their lives in an unspeakable tragedy,” she said Friday. “When we send our children to school, we expect they will be safe and secure. Nothing is worse than when our confidence is shaken and the safety of a child is put into question.”

Education Minnesota President Tom Dooher said schools should review their safety policies, and parents should take action, too.

“We also encourage Minnesota parents to take some extra time to talk with their children about what happened,” Dooher said.

Gewirtz, who moved to Minnesota from Connecticut, suggested that parents ask if their children heard about the shootings, and deal with their feelings.

“Listen to your kids, hear their concerns,” she said. “Don’t overwhelm them with your own worries.”

And, she added, parents need to tell only what the child can understand.

“There is such a thing as sharing too much information,” Gewirtz said. “It is important to think about what is appropriate.”

The state Education Department sent schools a sample letter that could be sent to parents.

“Give children time to talk, follow their lead; when they are ready to return to their regular routine, let them,” the letter read. “If they have further concerns, they will probably come back to talk. Let them know they can talk at any time.”

Bethany Wesley of the Bemidji Pioneer and Scott Wente of the South Washington County Bulletin contributed to this story.